Swivel holster



July 4, 1961 E. HANDLER ETAL 2,990,987

SWIVEL HOLSTER Filed Feb. 9, 1959 ELL IOT HANDLER 8 JOHN W RYAN,

INVENTOR-S- HERZ/c 8 JESSUP, BY A from/Em.

United States Patent 2,990,987 SWIVEL HOLSTER Elliot Handler, 2125 Duxbury Circle, Los Augeles, Calif., and John W. Ryan, 11027 Cashmere St., Bel-Air, Calif. Filed Feb. 9, 1959, Ser. No. 791,987 10 Claims. (Cl. 224-2) This invention relates to holsters and more specifically to a swivel holster capable of Supporting a pistol on a belt, strap or the like, for firing the. pistol by pivoting the holster.

In general, this invention comprises a holster member, adapted to receive a pistol, which is pivotally secured to a member supported on a belt, strap or the like. The holster member includes a trigger guard-engaging portion adapted to removably retain the pistol within the holster. The member supported by the belt includes trigger-engaging means adapted to engage the trigger of the pistol when the holster is pivoted relative to the belt-supported member to actuate the trigger of the pistol and thereby fire the gun.

The invention provides a swivel holster which, in actual police work, or, more specifically, with use as a toy pistol, effects automatic firing of a pistol while the same is still supported within the holster. Such action makes it unnecessary to withdraw the gun from the holster and fires the pistol in a faster manner than has been heretofore possible. The holster may be optionally pivoted by pulling upwardly on a drawstring secured to a lower end of the pistol and secreted in a hand of the user, whereby pulling on the drawstring in a simulated surrendering movement of raising the arms causes a pivotal movement of the holster relative to the belt-supported member to fire. the pistol.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a new and improved holster in which a gun can be fired without necessitating removal of the gun from the holster.

Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved holster for a trigger-operated pistol which is pivotally secured to a belt-supported member to automatically actuate the trigger of the pistol and fire the pistol in response to a manually imparted pivotal movement of the holster.

A further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved holster of the character described in which the trigger guard-engaging means and trigger-engaging means are rigid and capable of positive engagement with the trigger guard and trigger, respectively, of the pistol, yet which permits removal of the pistol for use in a normal manner.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved swivel holster which is economical to manufacture. and capable of mass production.

These and other objects of this invention will be more apparent from the following drawings, detailed descrip tion and appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side view, in elevation, of a swivel holster designed and constructed in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view, as taken on a line 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view, in elevation, similar to FIG. 1, with parts thereof illustrated in a changed position;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view, in elevation, illustrating component parts of the invention in exploded relationship; 7

FIG. 5 is a reduced side view, in elevation, illustrating one means of operating the holster; and

FIG. 6 is a reduced perspective view, illustrating another means of operating the holster.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, there is shown, by way of illustration but not of limitation, a swivel holster designed and constructed in accordance with this invention and generally referred to by the numeral 110. The. swivel holster 10 comprises a first member 11 adapted to be supported by a belt, strap or the like 12, and a tubular holster member 13 pivotally secured to the first member 11 for pivotal movement relative thereto and adapted to receive therein a trigger-actuated pistol illustrated in broken lines and generally referred to by the numeral 14.

The member 11 is preferably formed of a flexible material such as leather, plastics or the like, and may be conveniently formed as indicated by folding a sheet 15 of the material as at an intermediate portion 15 thereof to form a loop 20 through which the belt 12 may be extended to support the member 11. The belt-supported member 11 includes a trigger-engaging means 16 comprising a relatively rigid plate member 17 sandwiched between layers 18 of the sheet 15 and secured therebetween by a fastener 19, such as a rivet, bolt or the like, extending through aligned apertures, like the aperture 21 illustrated in FIG. 4, of the plate 17 and layers 18. The plate member 17 includes a transversely extending finger 22 adjacent a lower edge of the member 11 and engage able with a trigger 23 of the pistol 14, as will be hereinafter described. The finger 22 is preferably reinforced as by at least one flanged edge 24 and a bead 26 to stiffen the finger 22. The outer end of the finger 22 is preferably transversely bent as indicated at 27 to form a hook for preventing inadvertent disengagement of the finger 22 from the trigger 23. d

The holster member 13 is similarly formed of a flexible material, such as leather, plastics or the like, and may be formed by folding a sheet 28 of the material at an intermediate portion 29 with coinciding edges 31 being stitched as indicated at 32 to retain the sheet 28 in tubular form with open upper and lower ends 33 and 34 respectively. The holster 13 is preferably of a substantially conventional configuration whereby the holster is relatively narrow at the lower end 34 and appreciably larger at the open end 33 for insertion of the gun 14 into the interior of the holster member 13. The barrel portion 36 of the gun 14 extends into the narrow portion adjacent the open end 34 until the forward edge of a trigger guard 37, surrounding the trigger 23, is in abutment with the stitched edge 31 and adjacent the open end 33. The sheet 28 of the holster 13 includes an upper extension 38 which is pivotally secured to the belt-supported member 11, as by a fastening means 39, whereby the holster 13 may be pivoted relative to the member 11. The fastening means 39 may be in the form of a rivet, as illustrated herein, or other means, such as a bolt or the like.

A trigger guard-engaging means 41 is secured to the holster member 13 for pivotal movement with the holster 13. The means 41 comprises a relatively rigid plate member 42 having a configuration substantially complementary to the upper portion of the holster 13 and is secured thereto as by rivets or the like 43 extending through aligned apertures 44 of the plate 42 and the rear wall of the holster 13, apertures 44 of the plate 42 being best seen in FIG. 4. The plate member 42 is preferably curved complementary to the outer surface of the tubular member 13 to lie thereagainst and includes a transversely extending trigger-engaging finger 46 integral therewith or secured thereto. The finger 46 is preferably stiffened as by a longitudinal bend indicated at 47 and extends transversely of the open end 33 and adjacent the finger 22 of the member 11 when the members 11 and 13 are positioned in a normal position illustrated in FIG. 1.

In the position of FIG. 1, with the gun or pistol 14 residing within the tubular holster member 13 and the trigger guard 37 positioned, as heretofore described, with its forward edge adjacent to or in abutment with the edge 31, the finger 46 of the trigger guard-engaging means 41 extends through the trigger guard and adjacent the inner surface thereof, as best seen in FIGS. 1 and 3. The finger 22, in this position, likewise extends through the trigger guard 37 and is in alignment with the trigger 23 but preferably spaced from the trigger. To automatically fire the pistol 14, without removal thereof from the holster 13, the holster member 13 is pivoted in a manner to raise the barrel 36 of the pistol and thereby cause the trigger 23 to engage the finger 22 whereupon continued pivotal movement of the holster 13 depresses the trigger 23, firing the pistol. The finger 22 is suitably spaced from the trigger 23 a predetermined distance, whereby the pistol 14 will be fired at the time the pistol barrel 36 is in a horizontal position, as indicated in FIG. 3, the trigger-guard-engaging means 41 retaining the pistol within the holster 13 during the pivotal movement.

The pivotal movement of the holster 13 relative to the belt supported member 11 is quickly and easily accomplished by pushing straight downwardly on the upper surface of the butt 48 of the pistol, as indicated in FIG. 5, whereupon the pistol may be rapidly fired without withdrawal of the pistol from the holster 13.

If desired, the holster member 13 may be pivoted by pulling upwardly on the lower end of the holster member 13 as illustrated in FIG. 6. For this purpose, an aperture 51 is provided in the holster member 13 adjacent the lower open end 34 and a drawstring 52 of a suitable material secured therethrough whereupon pulling an opposite end of the drawstring 52., as indicated in FIG. 6, in an upward direction, causes the holster 13 to pivot upwardly around the axis of the fastener 39 and relative to the belt-supported member 11 to fire the pistol as previously described. Such an action may be surreptitiously performed by secreting the opposite end 53 in a hand of the user to pull upwardly on the drawstring 52 as by raising the hands in a simulated surrendering gesture.

While we have herein shown and described our invention in what we have conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of our invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein, but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices and methods.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A swivel holster comprising: a first member adapted to be secured to a belt, strap or the like; trigger-engaging means on said first member and extending transversely therefrom; a tubular holster member pivotally secured on said first member about an axis transverse thereto and spaced from said trigger-engaging means, for pivotal movement relative to said first member, said holster memher having an open end adjacent said first member, and being adapted to support a pistol therein; and trigger guard-engaging means secured to said holster member adjacent said open end and said trigger-engaging means of said first member and extending transversely of said open end, said trigger-engaging means being engageable with a trigger of a pistol supported in said tubular holster member and said trigger guard-engaging means being engageable with an inner surface of the trigger guard of the pistol.

2. A holster as defined in claim 1, wherein said trigger engaging means includes a relatively rigid member secured to said first member and having a finger extending transversely therefrom engageable with the trigger of the pistol when said tubular holster member is pivoted relative to said first member.

3. A holster as defined in claim 2, wherein said finger includes a hooked outer end.

4. A holster as defined in claim 1, wherein said triggerguard-engaging means includes a relatively rigid member secured to said holster member and having a finger extending transversely therefrom.

5. A swivel holster for a pistol having trigger means intermediate of a handle and barrel of the pistol and a trigger guard surrounding the trigger means, comprising a first member adapted to be secured to a belt, strap or the like; a first rigid finger means on said first member and extending traversely therefrom; a tubular holster member having open ends and adapted to receive the barrel portion of the pistol for supporting the pistol with the trigger guard of the pistol adjacent one of said open ends; means for pivotally securing said holster means on said first member; and second finger means on said tubular holster member, adjacent said one of said open ends and said first finger of said first member and extending transversely of said one of said open ends, said first finger means being engageable with the trigger means of the pistol and said second finger means being engageable with the inner surface of the trigger guard of the pistol, whereby pivoting of said tubular holster relative to said first member in a direction to separate said fingers operates the trigger means of the pistol supported in said tubular holster memher.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said first finger means includes a hooked outer end.

7. A swivel holster as defined in claim 6 wherein said first member is made of a flexible material and is folded back in itself thereby defining a loop and said first rigid finger means includes a plate member secured between layers of said fold, and spaced from said loop.

8. A swivel holster, as defined in claim 7, wherein said plate member and said first rigid finger means are integral.

9. A swivel holster comprising: a first member adapted to be secured to a belt, strap, or the like; a tubular holster member pivotally secured on said first member for pivotal movement relative to said first member on an axis transverse thereto and adapted to support a pistol therein; trigger-engaging means on said first member spaced from said axis and normally spaced from but engageable with a trigger of the pistol supported in said tubular member upon pivotal movement of said member; and trigger guard engaging means secured to said holster member and adjacent said trigger-engaging means of said first member, said trigger guard-engaging means being engageable with an inner surface of the trigger guard of the pistol.

10. A swivel holster, comprising: a first member adapted to be secured to a belt strap or the like; a holster member pivotally secured on said first member for pivotal movement relative to said first member on an axis transverse thereto and adapted to support a pistol therein; trigger-engaging means on said first member spaced from said axis and normally spaced from a trigger of a pistol supported in said holster member and said trigger-engaging means being engageable with the trigger of the pistol for firing the pistol upon pivotal movement of the said member, and means on said holster member for holding a pistol therein against the action of said trigger-engaging means in firing the pistol.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

